Saudi Prince flies his birds on plane

The image was taken by a passenger who claimed there were 80 birds on board the flight (Supplied)

When you're a Saudi Prince and your pet birds need transporting, why not purchase 80 seats on a commerical flight for them?

An image of a large number of falcons seated on a flight emerged on popuar website Reddit and has been be viewed by thousands after a Saudi Prince bought 80 plane tickets all so his pet birds could fly on a plane with him.

Passengers on the plane were astonished when they boarded their flight, only to discover the entire middle section of the plane was occupied by the birds.

In the image, a passenger mistakes the birds for hawkes. However, they are actually falcons, a bird commonly used for hunting in The United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The birds were made to wear hoods over their heads to cover their eyes during the flight. Hoods are used to keep the birds in a calm state.

"It was a shame they missed out on the in-flight movies," one person joked in response to the tweet.

In the Middle East, falcons often fly first class with their owners. The UAE even requires falcons to travel with their own passports. The law was issued in 2002 to help reduce illegal trade in the species.